Romcoms That Aren't Actually Romantic

Welcome to Flick & Lit, a column to celebrate and discuss media made for chicks

In writing about the non-romantic things I find incredibly romantic, it also crossed my mind that a lot of the romcoms that were supposed to be romantic—and probably included all the tropes we’re meant to fall for—didn’t quite get there. The balance between the ‘rom’ and ‘com’ is an extremely difficult task, and if you miss on the ‘rom’, I’ll be the first one to notice.

There are several reasons for this: a lack of chemistry, an unconvincing plot, or a great idea that wasn’t executed well. Of course, it can also be completely personal, so take this with a grain of salt.

It’s rare when I dislike a romcom. Even the ones with low budget that people call ‘silly’ or ‘trashy’. But I couldn’t get into The Sweetest Thing when I watched it recently. It’s incredibly difficult to make a couple feel believable when they barely know each other (or haven’t even met in person, like in Sleepless in Seattle, which somehow pulls it off perfectly), so here, the romantic storyline felt flat and superficial. I must say, the friends are hilarious.

I had to double-check the genre for this one, but as I suspected, Wikipedia says it’s a romantic comedy. A comedy? For sure—I recall crying with laughter. Romantic? Not really. In Meet the Parents (2000), Ben Stiller’s character meets his girlfriend’s father to ask for his blessing, not knowing he is a retired CIA agent. The following movie focuses on the collision between the two very different families, so even though it makes sense that it would have less romance, it did not go unnoticed. That said, I can’t wait for Focker-in Law with Ariana Grande to come out!

I had high expectations for this one, since I’m a big fan of Kiernan Shipka, but unfortunately, I think using ‘romcom’ to describe this movie is false propaganda. The premise was very promising: two best friends who are also in the same university go home for Thanksgiving to break up with their respective high school sweethearts. It had everything for a heartfelt roadtrip romance, but ended up going nowhere.

This one made me come to the conclusion that, with the exception of The Holiday, many Cameron Diaz romcoms leave me unconvinced by the romance. With My Best Friend’s Wedding, you end up rooting for Julia Roberts’ character, a toxic best friend who only realises she wants to be with him after he gets engaged. You know she shouldn’t be trying to break them up, but you want it to work. There’s not a lot of romance in it, but you can see I enjoyed it, because I keep mentioning it!

I actually love this movie, but it makes the list because for a romcom, there isn’t much romance. The story follows two best friends who dream of the Plaza Hotel as their wedding venue, but they become rivals after booking the exact same date. It’s a great exploration of competitiveness in female friendship, and the fiancés are really just side characters. I’m not mad about that, but I had to include it.

Don’t come for me, because I’ll watch Love Actually during Christmas as much as the next person. However, it’s more due to the festive feel and nostalgia than the romance itself. We have a couple who fall in love without ever speaking the same language, a man who secretly loves (or more likely, just has a crush on) his best friend’s wife, and a big power imbalance between an MP and his secretary. I still adore it, but do I need to say more?

I’d love to know if you agree with this list or if I’ve just insulted one of your favourite films. So, what’s the least romantic romcom you’ve ever watched?

If you also deeply care about how much romance goes into romcoms, make sure to subscribe to Flick & Lit, so you don’t miss the next letter.

Sincerely,
Renata 💋